Macon finance chief to look at fundraising regulations

Macon City Council members asked the city finance director Thursday to develop a policy to keep track of money employees collect at work for city-related fundraisers.

From sales of baked goods or plates of chicken dinners to the Macon-Bibb County Fire Department's annual Pink Pancake Breakfast held during the Cherry Blossom Festival, three city departments last year brought in a total of at least $60,000, according to a Finance Department survey. Most of that money was raised by the fire department.

Councilman Henry Ficklin, chairman of the council's Appropriations Committee, in the fall asked Finance Director Adah Roberts to find out how the money was being accounted for. There currently is no procedure for reporting those revenue streams, she said.

"Some of these things are done for various and good causes," Ficklin said. "But we've got to keep up with these kind of things. ... Not that I'm accusing anybody, but I just know how human nature can deteriorate."

The fundraisers become a government function because they are taking place on city time, Ficklin said.

According to the report, the money last year was donated to charity, used to help a Parks and Recreation employee who had not accumulated any sick leave, and, in the case of the Public Works Department, paid for an office Christmas party.

Public Works employees held three to four fund-raisers on pay days during employees' lunch hours, according to the report, which did not specify how much money the department raised. The Parks and Recreation fundraiser was conducted during a two-day period in July on city time and during employees' lunch hour. It yielded $700.

The fire department, in its response, said it uses both on- and off-duty personnel at its fundraisers, but firefighters are "in service, in territory, and subject to respond immediately to any call."

Councilwoman Elaine Lucas said there "certainly" needs to be a policy in place to guide the money collection. Lucas, who works as a counselor at the Hutchings Career Center, pointed out that schools require pre-approval of fundraisers, and expenditure receipts must be provided afterwards.

"All of these are great things," she said of the city fundraisers, "but frankly, all you need is one person accusing someone else of stealing something, and there's no way to prove they did not steal."

The fire department keeps its money separated by fundraiser -- from its boiled peanut sale to a September golf tournament -- and comes under Chief Jimmy Hartley's responsibility.

The cash is kept at the Macon Firefighters Credit Union.

Public Works' money is kept at the department's Lower Poplar Street building and is overseen by officers there.

Parks and Recreation kept its proceeds last year at a Central City Park building, the report said.